International group of fact-checkers launch a WhatsApp chatbot to combat coronavirus misinformation

International group of fact-checkers launch a myth-busting WhatsApp bot that lets users query terms like ‘masks’ to pull up trustworthy information on coronavirus

  • The bot is designed by Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checkers Network
  • It can be queried by WhatsApp users and pulls from the IFCN’s database
  • IFCN’s chatbot also directs users to their local fact-check organization
  • It’s currently only available in English but will launch in other languages
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Fact-checkers are turning to WhatsApp to help ensure people are given reliable information on COVID-19.  

Poynter Institute’s International Fact-Checkers Network (IFCN) said it will launch a bot on the popular messaging service WhatsApp that allows users to query terms like ‘masks’ or ‘coronavirus symptoms.’

The bot is designed to pull from the ‘translated work of more than 80 fact-checking organizations worldwide’ and can use that information to determine whether content has been rated as false by fact-checkers.

The IFCN’s chatbot will pull from a database that has identified more than 4,000 coronavirus hoaxes according to the organization 

Specifically, a bot will pull from the IFCN’s CoronaVirusFacts database which, with the help of fact-checkers from 74 countries around the world, has identified more than 4,000 coronavirus hoaxes according to the organization. 

The inclusion of a reputable fact-checking bot on WhatsApp makes senes given the platform’s popularity.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, has billions of users across the world and, hitting two billion in 2020.

‘Hundreds of millions of users rely on WhatsApp to stay in touch with their friends and families every day,’ said IFCN director Baybars Orsek. 

HOW TO USE THE IFCN’S CHATBOT 

Users can save +1 (727) 291-2606 as a contact number 

They can then text the word ‘hi’ to launch the chatbot. 

Users can enter either ‘1’ to search for facts based on keywords or ‘2’ to search for the most recent fact-checks.  

‘Since bad actors use every single platform to disseminate falsehoods, to mislead others during such troubling times, fact-checkers’ work is more important than ever.’

In addition to helping users find reliable information, the IFCN says it will also give users a directory of reputable fact-checking organizations.

‘The system is capable of identifying the user’s country via the mobile country code and then sharing the nearest fact-checking organizations,’ said the IFCN. 

According to the IFCN, the chatbot will Initially only be available in English, but the organizations plans to roll out other languages, including Hindi and Spanish. It said that ‘additional functionalities’ will also follow soon.